Noreen shot him a pleading look, which only made Dylan's smile widen.

Sanford, hearing Halley's account, looked genuinely regretful. "What a shame! And to think it was a young woman! From the way you talk, she must have been quite young?"

"She was. A prodigy. She was only sixteen when she developed that model."

Sanford gasped. "A genius! What a terrible waste! If she had stayed in that field, she could have been the next investment guru."

Halley sighed heavily. "Love makes fools of us all."

"*Cough, cough, cough, cough...*"

Noreen's repeated choking fits finally drew Sanford's attention. "Young lady, are you feeling unwell? I used to choke like that all the time when I had bronchitis."

"No, it's just... the food is a bit spicy," Noreen mumbled, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.

Just then, her phone rang, saving her. She answered, and whatever the person on the other end said made her face pale.

"I'm on my way!"

Noreen stood up, apologizing to Halley and Sanford. "I'm so sorry, but I have an emergency I need to take care of."

"Go, go," Halley said, waving her off.

"You didn't drive. Let me take you," Dylan offered.

"No, you stay and eat with... Professor Joyner. I can get there myself."

"Then take my car." Dylan handed her his keys.

This time, Noreen didn't refuse. She took the keys and hurried out.

After she left, Sanford continued to lament the fall of the young genius, asking

Halley how he had discovered such a talent.

Halley didn't hide the details. "She

won the national junior Math Olympiad at fourteen. She has an incredible mind for logic and analysis, and that strong

heavel

mathematical foundation helps her understand and assess investment risks, allowing her to make rational decisions based on data."

"That's a skill set applicable to almost any industry." In truth, Halley had wanted to push Noreen to achieve even greater things. A pity...

Sanford felt the same sense of loss. A Math Olympiad champion. That competition wasn't about training; it was about relentless selection, weeding out thousands upon thousands until only the absolute best remained.

"Well, let's not talk about her anymore," Halley said, a shadow of disappointment crossing his face.

Sanford took the hint and changed

the subject to his son, Henry, mentioning his recent interest in investing in tech projects. He had come to Rivercrest City specifically to recruit talent that area, amove Sanford fully supported. He saw a spark of his own youthfubambition in his son.

Thinking of Henry, Sanford called him again. "Are you here yet?"

"I've arrived."

When Henry finally joined them, he apologized for his tardiness. As he sat down,

he noticed a used set of cutlery on the table. "Was someone else here?" he asked.

"Oh, that was a friend of Dylan's. She had to leave for an emergency," Sanford explained.

Henry didn't press further.

After the meal, once Halley and Dylan had left, Sanford brought up their earlier conversation with his son. Henry's interest was suddenly piqued "Are you saying that the investment model that saved the Brooke family was created by the Professor's female apprentice?"

"Yes. But she was love-struck. Threw away a brilliant future for some man."

Henry immediately thought of Bianca following Dylan abroad. It all fit. So, she had done the Brooke family such a massive favor all those years ago.